Amalgamator.



No. 686,300. Patented Nov. 12, I90l.

F. J. HDYT.

AMALGAMATUR.

(Application filed Apr. 21, 1900. Renewed Ap r. 17, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES 7 [{{VVENTOR n5. fi I fix a I Atlorueys No. 686,300. Patented Nov. l2, 190i. F. J. HOYT.

AMALGAMATOR.

(Application filed. Apr. 21, 1900. Renewed Apr. 17, 1901.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheetg-Sheet 2,

g [/V VEN-TOR Attorneys 'm: NORRIS PETER 00.. vnoromwou wnsmncrou. n. c.

No. 686,300. Patented Nov. l2, 19m; F. J. HOYT.

AMALGAMATOR.

(Application filed Apr. 21, 1900. Renewed Apr. 17, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHOmuTNQ, WASHIND'ADN. D. c.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. I-IOYT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AMALGAMATO R.

SPEGIFIGATIOIV forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,300, dated November 12, 1901. Application filed April 21, 1900. Renewed April 17, 1901. Serial No. 56,271- (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. HOYT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Amalgamators,of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in amalgamators in which quicksilver or other amalgamating material is used to catch gold or silver; and it consists of an amalgamator suitable for use in placer-mining, in which a plurality of amalgam-cylinders rotate in recesses which are inserted at intervals in an inclined amalgam-table; and the objects of my improvement are to provide a devicewhich will not only catch the fine gold that would adhere to the table, but also to save all coarse gold and nuggets found in placer-mines at one and the same operation, and also to provide a simple and adequate device capable of handling large quantities of sand and gravel in connection with placer-mines or with a stamp-mill. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device; Fig. 2, a plan view of same; Fig. 3, a plan of amalgam-receptacle; Fig. 4:, a cross-section on line 00 as of saidreceptacle; Fig. 5, a longitudinal medial section through the cylinder and receptacle, showing the sprocket and sprocket-flange. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View of the machine.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, A is a frame of wood or metal, as required, the top of which is inclined at a pitch of about one in twentyfour.

13 B are recesses, preferably cast of iron in the shape of half-cylinders and placed across the frame at intervals of thirty inches, more or less, having flanges 1 on their sides corresponding to the pitch of frame A. Any desired number of the half-cylinders B may be placed in the frame; but in practice, and as shown in the drawings, four are used. The half-cylinders B are cast with an end wall 3, which projects above the cylinder part to form a portion of the sluice-wall, hereinafter described. Flanges 2 project from the end walls 3 of the half-cylinders B B, which afford bearing-surfaces through which said half-cylinders are bolted or otherwise securely fastened to frame A. The diameter of said half-cylinders B is increased at their ends, forming oifsets t to accommodate a sprocket-wheel, hereinafter described.

Upon the inner sides of walls 3 are bolted or otherwise secured bearings or sockets 5, bored to receive the ends of shaft 6, one of which shafts extends the length of each half-cylinder B. Upon each end of shafts 6 and revolving in the offset 4is rigidly mounted a solid sprocket-wheel 7, from the inner face of which projects a flange 8. A copper cylinder C is fitted over and fastened by screws or other means to flanges 8 upon sprockets 7 at each end of shafts 6. The hearings or sockets 5 are placed with their centers on a level I frame, than the upper side of the half-cyliiv der, as shown in Fig. 4. All of the half-cylinders B are provided with cylinders C except the last. This half-cylinder is similar in construction to the others, being provided with shaft 6, sockets 5, and sprockets 7; but instead of the cylinder C the shaft 6 is provided with a series of fingers or stirrers 9, preferably mounted at intervals upon hubs 10, although other means of mounting may be employed.

Between each of the half-cylinders B and at the head and foot of the frame A and extending the entire width thereof are placed plates D, preferably of copper, their ends rigidly fastened to the flanges 1 of half-cylinders B. Upon the outside timbers of" the frame are placed angle-bars 11, of iron or other material, one wing of which lies under and is fastened to the plates D, the other wing formingaslnice-wallto confine the sand, gravel, and water. These angle-bars connect with the projecting end walls 3 of the halfcylinders B, forming continuous sluice-walls the entire length of the frame.

At one endof frame A areplaced brackets 12, mounted in which is shaft 13, bearing at either end sprockets E, and to which shaft is connected a crank or band pulley connecting with suitable power. A hand-crank or englue-pulley may be used, as the case may re.- quire. At the opposite end of frame A similar brackets 13 are placed, bearing shaft 14:, upon the end of which are mounted pulleys 15, having a groove upon their peripheries. Upon the lower part of the frame A are placed brackets 16, hearing shaft 17, upon which are mounted pulleys 18, similar to pulleys 15, adapted to take up the slack in two chains 19, which pass over sprockets E and 7 and pulleys'15 and 18 and serve to transmit power from sprockets E to and to rotate cylinders G and stirrers 9.

Each of the inter-mediate and end plates D and cylinders O are coated with amalgam, andeach of the half-cylinders B, excepting that containing stirrers 9, are filled to their edges, which is half-way up the diameter of the cylinders O,with live quicksilver or other amalgamating fluid. The last half-cylinder containing stirrers 9 remains empty. Nowwhen power is applied to shaft 13 I have a sluice in which there are bottom plates coated with amalgam and cylinders coated with amalgam revolving in wells of live quicksilver or other liquid amalgamating material and an empty trough, in which revolve a series of fingers or stirrers.

Having now described my device, its operation is as follows: The cylinders and stirrers being set in motion by the chain and sprockets, the gravel and sand in a placer-bed is now fed with water down a sluice onto the head of the machine. The plates will catch certain portions of the gold that is fine; but all coarse gold and nuggets will be taken up by the wells of live quicksilver or other liquid amalgamating material in the half-cylinders. The gravel, sand, and water will first pass over the first plate, then over the widest side of the well of quicksilver, when any coarse gold or nuggets will be taken up by the quicksilver, then by the force of the water and gravel behind and the rotation of the cylinder will be carried over the cylinder and onto the next plate, and so on until the lasthalfcylinder containing the stirrers is reached, where any amalgam which might have been detached from the plates or cylinders or spilled from the half-cylinders will sink and be retained, the stirrers and water keeping the half-cylinder clear of gravel and sand, allowing the amalgam to settle in the bottom of the half-cylinder. Since the plates feed down substantially to a line with the horizontal cross-diameters of the cylinders and since the eccentric mounting of the cylinders gives a wide receiving-space between the upper part of the cylinder and the edge of the plate, the pulp will be spread out and will be fed in a large body into the well. The coarse gold and nuggets will fall into the well, while the fine float-gold striking the cylinders, which turn in the direction of the flow of ore, as shown by arrows, at about on a line with their horizontal diameters,as above described, is effectually caught and amalgamated by the cylinders. While these revolving cylinders form riffies and secure absolute certainty of all gold and silver coming in contact with the amalgam, they form no detention to the flow of the material, but rather hasten it forward, enabling much larger quantities to be handled in the same time than is possible by the present methods.

It is obvious that the construction of my device may be changed and that the numer ous details in construction and arrangement of the various parts thereof may be varied without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention and in what manner it is to be operated, what I claim is- 1. In an amalgamator, in combination with an inclined frame, a series of inclined amalgam-plates for carrying a fiow of ore-pulp, a series of receptacles between said plates containing amalgamating material, a plain smooth-surfaced amalgam-cylinder in each receptacle immersed in the amalgam-bath thereof, said cylinders revolving in the direction of the flow of the ore, said plates extending substantially to the horizontal axis of the cylinders, and gearing connected to said cylinders whereby they may be positively and simultaneously driven, substantially as described.'

2. In an amalgamator, in combination with an inclined receptacle containingliquid amalgamating material, a plain smooth-surfaced cylinder in said receptacle positively revolved in the direction of the flow of ore and having its axis nearer the lower than the upper edge of the receptacle wherebya greater space will be between said upper edge and the periphery of the receptacle for carrying the ore into the receptacle and spreading it and carrying it out over the lower edge 'of the receptacle onto the plate below, without lodging in the lower edge, substantially as described.

3. In an amalgamator, the combination of a series of inclined amalgam-plates for conducting a flow of ore, said plates interspersed with half-cylinders each holding a body of live quicksilver, a smooth copper cylinder revolving in said quicksilver in the direction of the flow of ore and over which the ore passes, with a final half-cylinder having revolving fingers therein to prevent any loss of quicksilver, said fingers and rotating cylinders driven by common gearing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK J. HOYT.

Witnesses:

A. M. HOYT, WILL H. MooRE. 

